Rail-joint



T.POLEY.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented May 19, 1896.

(No Model.)

IIVVE/VTOR UNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS FOLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,536, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed December 27, 1895. Serial No. 573,550. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FOLEY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Im-' proved Rail-Joint, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rail-joints, and has for its object to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive construction which shall be adapted to hold the adjacent ends of railwayrails securely and firmly connected together, thereby dispensing'with the employment of fish-plates or analogous devices for connecting the ends of the rails.

The invention consists in a rail-joint wherein the end of one rail is provided at its upper and lower portions with centrally-arranged recesses, while the upper and lower portions of the end of the other rail are provided with central]y-arranged lugs projecting therefrom and arranged to enter the said recesses, said i lugs and recesses having their adjacent surfaces inclined in opposite directions.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts of the improved joint whereby-certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use than various other similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side view of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with my invention, the end of one of the rails thereof being shown in section in order to illustrate the engaging device of the adjacent rail ends; and Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary perspective views showing the engaging devices on the respective rail ends.

In the views, 1 and 2 indicate the ends of two rails to be joined together, and 3 indicates a tie, which may be of any construction, to which the said rails 1 and 2 are secured by means of spikes or like devices 4, the tie 3 being, by preference, arranged immediately beneath the joint. At the upper portion or head of the rail, 1 is formed a centrally-arranged slot or recess 5, extending parallel to the web of the rail and having its bottom inclined at about an angle of forty-five 'degrees to the vertical, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and at the bottom or flanged portion of said rail 1 is formed a similar central slot or recess 6, having an inclined top, the in- 1 clined top of the recess or slot 6 being arranged substantially at right angles to the plane of the inclined bottom of the upper slot or recess 5, as will be readily understood by inspection of Fig. 1. The end of the other rail 2 is provided at its upper portion or head with a centrally-arranged projecting lug 7, extending parallel to the web of the rail and of a width substantially equal to the width of the upper slot or recess 5 in the rail 1, and

said lug 7 is formed with an inclined under surface, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2, said inclined under surface being arranged to correspond, when the two rails are adjacent to each other, with the inclined bottom of the upper slot or recess 5 in the end of the rail 1. At the bottom or flanged portion of the rail 2 is formed a similar centrally-arranged projecting lug 8, adapted to fit in the lower slot or recess 6 in the rail 1 and having its upper surface inclined to correspond with the inclined top of said recess or slot 6, whereby it will be seen that when the rails 1 and 2 are fitted together the lugs or projecions 7 and 8 on the rail 2 will extend into and fit the slots or recesses 5 and 6 in the end of the rail 1 and will serve to lock the said rails 1 and 2 securely together. In this way it will be seen that the rails are held securely and firmly connected, so as to be immovable laterally independently of one another, and this is accomplished without the employment of fish-plates or other analogous devices. It is preferred of course that the joint between the rails be formed at a tie, as indicated at 3 in Fig. 1, so that the rails may be held against vertical movement, since, although said rails are locked together against vertical as well as sidewise movement by the engagement of the lugs 7 and 8 in the recesses 5 and 6, it is obvious that the arrangement of the joint over the tie provides a more firm and secure foundation therefor, in order that the joint may be enabled to sustain theweight of the trains passing over the rails. It will also be seen that since the upper face of the upper lug 7 on the rail 2 is flush with the tread of the rails said lug forms a bridge extending across the main portion of the joint between the rails, wherebythe Wheels are carried over said joint and are prevented from pounding at the ends of the rails, as Will be readily understood.

From the above description it will be seen that the joint is of an extremely simple and inexpensive construction and is Well adapted having a recess formed in it at the central portion of its head, said recess being provided with an inclined bottom, the other rail being provided at the central portion of its head with a projecting lug arranged to engage and fit the said recess in the first-mentioned rail, said lug having its upper surface flush with the tread of the rails and having an inclined under side to fit the inclined bottom of the .said recess, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination of two rails, one provided at top and bottom of its central portion with recesses, the bottom and top of the respective recesses being inclined in opposite directions, the other rail being provided at top and bottom of its central portion with projecting lugs to engage and fit the said recesses, the bottom and top of the respective lugs being inclined in opposite directions corresponding with the inclined bottom and top of the respective recesses, substanth lly as set forth.

THOMAS FOLEY. Witnesses ARTHUR V. WIL INSON, ZEBULIN WILKINSON. 

